Spring-fitting tool.



A. E. PATTERSON.

SPRING HTTING TOOL.

APPucATloN man SEPT. 7, 1915.

1 ,296,1 37. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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A. E. PATTERSON.

SPRING FITTING TOOL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPI. I. 1915.

Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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A. E. `PATTERSONI SPRING -FITTING-TOOL. 'APPLICATION man SEPT. 7. 1915.

' l ,206,1 37. Patented Nov. 28, 1916.

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UNITED strains 'PATE OFFE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov; 28,1916.

Application filed September 7, 1915. Serial No. 49,319.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER E. PATTER; sON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Fitting Tools; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to metal bending, and more especially to machines having a reciprocating bender with a variable die face; and the object of the same is broadly to produce a single machine in which a spring leaf may be bent or fitted to a die or formfand with it inserted in the tempering bath.

One of the objects of this invention is the production of such a machine whereby a small spring can be bent entirely by hand.

A further obj ect of theinvention is to provide the movable die with plungers which automatically adapt themselves to the curva- A further object of the invention is to produce a machine which, in its several embodiments, includes plungers for engaging both sides of a spring, or one side only of a spring, or the center of a rather wide spring-with yielding force in any event.

A further object of the invention is to provide an opportunity for engaging, while binding the entire leaf to the form and affording means for sprinkling water upon the heated spring' leaf.

A furtherr object of the invention is to provideimproved means for holding the entire spring leaf on the form so that the form, leaf and tool may all be immersed in the tempering fluid when it is found desirable to temper in that manner instead of first sprinkling with water and removing the spring leaf and immersing it independently of the form.

Vith these and. other objects in view the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as -will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a conventional view of an unfitted spring leaf ready to be bent. Fig. 2 is a view of the spring leaf placed upon the form with one embodiment of the tting tool in position, showing in dotted lines the position of the spring leaf after being fitted. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig; 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4--5 of Fig. 27 wherein tension has not been applied, and

Fig. 5 is a similar section on the same line showingthe position of parts after tension has been applied. Fig. 5 is another transverse sectional view taken on the line 5 5 through the endniost plunger of Fig. 2, but in this view tension has not been applied. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of another embodiment of the fitting tool, providing means for engaging one side ofthe leaf only. Fig'. T is a view in elevation of the embodiment of the Vtoo-l shown at Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is transverse sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the fitting dies. Fig. 10 is a Vview in elevation of still another embodiment of the present invention, showing a different form of spring-pressed plungers.

Fig. l1 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown at Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view in elevation of yet another embodiment of the invention, sho-wing a single row of spring-pressed plungers and the guides. Fig. 13 is a transverse sectional view through the form of fit- Fig. 14 is a view in side sol to take the place of such spring-pressed'- plungers. Fig. 15 is a top plan view of the fitting tool without the plungersL as shown at Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 16-16 of Figs. 14 and 15.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout y the several views. j

It is well known that in the ordinary method of fitting springs by hand a spring leaf as 20 is first placed upon a form as 21 Y of devices, water is sprinkled on to retain the leaf against distortion, and the leaf then immersed in oil or other tempering bath. In the drawing no attempt has been made to show the form 21 or leaf 20 in any accurate proportions or technical eXaotness, it being understood of course that the usual and ordinary form is employed and that any form of spring leaf may be subject to the treatment of the tool hereinafter described.

My improved spring fitting tool is a unitary instrument designed to take the place of both pairs of tongs and the clamping devices above mentioned, and it is hereinafter described and shown in the drawings in several embodiments adapted to springs of various types. Brcadly speaking, it comprises a lower or Xed die which is the form to which the spring is to be bent, an upper or movable die having spring-pressed plungers, and a pair of tongs 28 for forcing these dies toward each other; and in any embodiment said tongs may have a pair of crossing handles 10 and 11 pivoted to each other and are extended into a lower jaw 13 and an upper jaw 14C. Linked to the outer end of one handle, as that numbered 11, is a keeper 22 pierced with a plurality of eyes 19, any of which may be slipped over the tip of the upper handle 10 to hold the handles and therefore the jaws against spreading apart. I have shown the several embodiments of my tool as employing but a single pair of tongs as just described, located at about its mid-length, and I nd the same sufficient for all ordinary purposes.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 to 5 inclusive, the lower or fixed die 21 constitutes the form over which the spring leaf 2O is to be bent, and the center of this die overlies the lower jaw 13 of the tongs. The upper or movable die includes a bar 23 which is of nearly the same length as the lower die 21 and which in this embodiment is shown as straight, and the center of this bar passes over the upper jaw 14: and is secured thereto by a bolt 16 which passes through the bar and through this jaw.

Located about the bar 23 are a plurality of plungers 24 which are yokes of substantially inverted U formation with the bar 23 resting normally in the bend of the U. The plungers are connected with the bar 23 by means of bolts 25, which rise rigidly from the bar, pass loosely through holes in the bends or arches of the yokes or plungers, and are surrounded by coiled expansive springs 26 between the top of the plungers 24 and the tension nuts 27.

It will thus be seen that each of the plungers 2a is capable of independent resilient movement upward relative to the bar 23 t0 which is attached the tongs 28, so that as the tongs are manually closed the leaf 20 will be forced from the position shown at full lines in Fig. 2 to the position shown in dotted lines in engagement withthe form 21. To enable the plunger 24 to properly act upon both sides of the leaf, feet in the shape of shoulders 29 are formed which bear upon the opposite edges of the leaf, and downturned extremities 30 which serve as guides and positioning members so that the leaf 2O will be in proper lateral relation to the form 21.

W hen in this position the keeper 22 may be swung to the position shown in dotted lines at the left of Fig. 3, and the entire tool, leaf and form may be immersed in the tempering fluid, or water may Ibe sprinkled upon the leaf 2O by reason of the open formation of the tool after which the leaf 20 may be removed from the form and independently immersed in the tempering fluid.

For some springs as, for instance, very wide springs a device which will engage both sides of the spring leaf simultaneously is found inconvenient in operation and for supplying the need of such a contingency an embodiment of my invention is provided having a row of plungers engaging only the one side of the spring and it is possible to use two of such tools, one upon each side of the leaf as indicated atFig. 6. The tool itself comprises a bar 31 similar in all respects to the bar 23 with plungers 32 mounted thereon by means of bolts 33 and controlled by springs 34. The plunger 32 is provided with a single foot 35 and its eX- tremity or guide 30 positioned to engage one edge of the leaf 20 as shown at Fig. 8, and if a similar tool is applied to the other side it is obvious that both sides will then be under compression simultaneously but by two operators. The tongs 28 are attached to the latter tool the same as the tool shown at Figs, 2 to 5 inclusive.

At Figs. 10 and 11 the tool is shown with a plunger of different type. At those figures the bar 36 is similar to the bars 23 and 31, but it has holes for loosely receiving two rows of spring-pressed plungers in the form of bolts 37 having coiled expansive springs 38 located between the bar and the bolt-heads, and provided with tension nuts 39 whereby the heads of the bolts 37 are pressed upon the spring leaf 2-0 by the tongs 28 with the necessary pressure. Guides 40 are carried by the bar for properly positioning the tool relative to the leaf and form.

A t Fig. 12 a further embodiment is shown having a bar el carrying a single row of spring-pressed plunger bolts l12 with a guide 4:3 adapted to engage one edge of the spring. It is obvious that the guide 13 may be omitted and the single row of spring-pressed plungers L.L2 simply employed to engage the center line of the spring leaf holding its position. In all the forms the spring leaf will be yieldingly held to position and may be retained in such position by being tempered.

In Figs. 14 to 16 inclusive a form of tting tool is shown without resilient plungers, a bar 44 being employed curved to lit the required curvature of the spring, and provided with openings 45 for sprinkling water through when desired. This form is also attached to the tongs in the same manner as heretofore described and guides 46 are likewise provided and for the same purpose.

It is believed that the utility and operation of the tool has been sufficiently described in the description of the tool itself, and that further description of such operation will not be necessary.

I claim 1. In a bending tool, the combination with upper and lower dies; of a pair of tongs comprising two handles crossing and pivoted to each other and extended into jaws whereof the lowermost underlies the lower die and the uppermost is provided with a hole, a bolt passing through said hole and engaging the upper die, and a keeper linked to the end of one handle and having eyes adapted to be engaged with the end of the other handle, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a bending tool, the combination with a rigid lower die whose upper face constitutes a form, and a pair of tongs whose lower jaw is connected with said die at the mid-length of the latter; of an upper die connected with the upper jaw of the tongs and adapted to shape the work upon said form, and guides depending from the upper die at its edge and adapted to pass and contact with the edge of the work and form as the tongs are closed.

3. In a tool for bending spring leaves, the combination with a rigid lower die whose upper face is curved to constitute a form; of a bar overlying said die, a plurality of plungers movably mounted on and projecting below said bar, expansive springs bear-v ing said plungers with yielding force toward said form, a foot on each plunger to engage one side of the leaf resting on said form, and means for pressing the bar toward the form.

4L. In a tool for bending spring leaves, the combination with a curved form, a bar overlying the same, and means for pressing the bai` toward the form; of a series of bolts rising from said bar, a series of plungers each having its upper end slidably mounted on one bolt and its lower end provided with a foot to engage one side of the leaf resting on said form, and a guide projecting below the foot to engage the edge of said leaf and form, and an expansive spring coiled on the bolt between its upper end and the upper end of said plunger.

5. In a tool for bending spring leaves, the combination with a curved form, a bar overlying the same, and means for pressingv the bar toward the form; of a series of bolts rising from said bar, a series of plungers of inverted U-formation standing astride said bar and each mounted loosely on one of said bolts, expansive springs on the latter between its upper end and the plunger, and shoulders on the plunger-arms forming feet engaging the work near its edges and eXtensions passing by said edges, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ALEXANDER E. PATTERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents; Washington, D. C. 

